I open my eyes to an empty void, black and familiar. "Damn it, not again!" I yell only to hear myself through the echo of emptyness. "It is about time I contact you, child of the second king." I hear the solemn calm voice from before. I stand up from the invisible pitch black floor only to look around and see the same black, nothing more. "Tell me who you are. Please!" I suddenly exert from my emotions along with my soul without a second thought. "Very well, even though it really doesn't matter." I hear the voice respond, leaving a sudden excitement in my heart. I then see a blinding light from the darkness. It's the hooded man. "My name is Malek the prophet, and I am the guide." Malek? I feel as though I have heard of him, but where from? "May I ask some questions?" I look into his ocean eyes waiting for a response. "Yes." His answer was calm but it felt like a sudden gust of wind. Now that I have the chance, I don't know what to ask. "Well?" Hes waiting, I should probably ask if I'm dreaming, just in case. "Is this a dream?" He now stares at me instead of thoughtlessly staring at the floor of nothingness. "It was a dream, but I redirected you to this holy home. The waiting room..." Holy home? Redirected? What does he mean? "What is the waiting room?" "The place between all things, the antimatter, the place of creation, and the bridge of the destined one, make your choice what you wish to call it." He answers almost simultaneously to when I ask. He stares back to the ground. He makes me nervous. I feel as though one wrong move and I'm gone! But I continue on to the most appropriate question. "WHAT are you?" He pauses for a second, shuts his eyes, then suddenly opens them again. "I am the white wing. The light of HIS left hand. My duty is to keep this world on the correct path even if it means committing right or wrong." What kind of answer is that?! I chose not to go into that but into a better question. But his eyes still stare at the ground, blue as a sparkling jem. I feel something in him, but I can't put my eye on it. "Is there a right hand?" He looks displeased with my question but I refuse to back down. The little emotion that he shows has a slight twitch. I barely saw it, but it was definitely there. "Indeed there is a black wing. You may actually know of him, but if I told you who... lets just say the course of history would change." History would change? "Are you from the future?" He looks at me again. I almost flinch. "I am from all time periods. I am an oracle. I do not exist in a physical life. I am an immortal entity. As is my brother, the right hand of creation." Strange. But I think he slipped up and told me the right hand was his brother in some form. No. Never mind, he throws me a smirk. I guess I only have one more question I can ask. I was hoping to avoid it... for I will probably hate the answer. Here goes nothing! "Is my father dead." At first he does not respond, causing an inner quake in me of anticipation, but then he makes a slight flicker of light in his hand. "Yes." His answer suddenly makes me feel as though ice shards were in my veins, making my entirety hurt. Even though it was expected, something was still killing me from the inside. But most of the pain came from my chest, feeling like a pool of poison with drenched needled barbs of bloody vines and roots all around, constricting my blood pipes. It felt as though my entire body was about to collapse. But something strange occured, very strange. I wanted to cry but couldn't. I have so much before but now of all times not a single drop! Why!? WHY?!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! What is happening to me?! I felt a now certain resolve through thine heart of the weary. My heart turned to stone. And my blood runs cold! I can sense it. I truly can! The pain seems physical through emotion. Is that even possible?! "That was the question you truly needed to ask, yes?" He tilts his head looking plainly at me as if there is no visible sign of what is happening to me! Wait... Is there? I look at myself. Not a single thing has changed. Why? "It's time for you to go." He says like he was waiting for that question. Was he? "What have you done to me!!!" I yell a war cry worthy of the Restless Armor, and without further ado, he responds... "You have done this to yourself, Isahia. But do not worry, this is how its supposed to be. It is more crucial than you may ever realize. But also, don't think its your fault. I know it hurts. I'n my life before I died, I was a different man. One who knew the sorrows of losing someone. One who knew sin as you have. I lived as a Periah of the plains, who knew not of a normal life. But in its end I threw away my sorrow, my pain, my corruption, and even my original name. I became anew, and was given a second chance." He puts his hand in a motion of a stagnant flick. "Child of the second king. Beware the shadow of the black axe." He stares at the floor one more time, then shutting his eyes. "Wait-" I blurt out, but his finger snaps and the noise makes me flinch my eyes shut as before since the snap always sounded like a thunders rumble, and I open my eyes back up, showing the caravans inner exterior that I left behind for the dream world. "Crap..." I feel the pain dissipating as if it were real. But it's not dieing. Instead it's burying itself, like a darkness beyond bounds chaining itself to my inner heart. It stopped... the pain stopped. Now it seems to... rest there. Waiting. Why? I don't know... It just... makes me feel sad. But I can't let them know about what just happened to me. It would break them. I won't let them know. The girl on my shoulder, the veteran singing to the trees, and the jouste set upon the head. They don't deserve the burden they've been given and I refuse to add to it! They will never know my bitter roots. Ever. Hopefully... I can even hide it from myself.